Detachable coupling for electric wires



7 1,510,977 w. T. CLARK v DETACHABLE COUPLING FOR ELECTRIC wmms Oct; 7 1924.

1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 11 WT cza ic,

A TTOR/VEYS w. 11. CLARK DETACHABLE COUPLING FDR ELECTRIC WIRES Filed April 11. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

Arromver struction, combination and .parts Wlll hereinafter appe 5 an positive manner.

:7 1 and 2,

i member of the coupling. Th

Patented a. 7, 1924.

UNITE WILLIAM TIMBULLE CLARK, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

" DETACHAIBLE COUPLING FOR ELECTRIC WIRES;

. 1 n Application filed April 11, 1921. Serial No. 460,216.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it 'known that I, WILLIAM T. Cmim, a citizen of the United. States, and a resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and Stateof Wisconsin, have invented certa-in new and useful Improvements in Detachable Couplings for Electric lVires, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a detachable coupling for electric terminal wires.

The object of the'inventio-n is to provide a coupling by which oneor more terminals ma be connected or disconnected in a quick It is also an object of the invention that the coupling be of few numbered parts and inexpensive to manufacture.

It is also anobject' of the invention that the wire terminals be connected in such a manner that any said terminals w ile current is passing therethrou h is" entirely eliminated.

Other o jects relating to details of conarrangement of ar.

The invention is illustrated by way of example inthe accompanying drawings, in,-

Which: i I

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the coupling when assembled, Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same, Figures 3 and 4 are op osite end elevations of the coupling as s own in Figures Figure 5 is a central longitudinal vertical section of Fi re 1, Figure 6 1s a side elevation similar to that shownin Figure 1, but with the-corresponding side casing of the plug removed,

Figure 7 is a transverse section taken substantially on the line 77 of Figure 2, and

Fi re 8 is a transverse section taken substa-ntlally on the line 8-8 of Figure 2 Referring to the drawings more particularly A indicates generally a casing or housing which encloses what I term the male member of the coupling and B like-wise indicates the casing or housing for the female e casings in each instance have a cylindrical body portion at the inner end of which there is formed an enlargement or bead as'indicated at'10. Each casing is divided into'two equal sections; 13 and 14 representing the sections of the male gasing A and 11 and, 12 repre- 'ossibility of heating of curve inwardly as at 15 and each terminate in a semi-cylindrical, neck as at 16.- Each neck section is also formed with an outwardly disposed lip- 17 and a pair of lugs 18 through which openings are provided for receiving screws 19 for securing together the outer ends of thecasing sections. Also near the inner ends of the casing sections 13 and. '14 'there is formeda lug 19f on each mode thereof, through which openings are made for receiving the clamping bolts or screws 20, and thereby binding or securing the forward ends of the sections 13 and 14 together.

' The female casing sections 11 and 12 are likewise curved inward] at their outer ends as at 20 and form a rediiced end opening or passage when assembled. Intothis opening or passage there-is introduced a pair of semi-cylindrical members 21, the inner ends of which are suitably secured to the asso- I ciated female casing section. When the female casing members 11 and 12 are assembled or secured together the members 21 form a neck similar in cross section to the fitted a cylindrical insulating member 23.

The member 23 is provided with a pair of openings 23' and in each opening there is positioned a tubular member 24. The openings 23' are enlarged at their "outer ends su1tably for accommodatin a sleeve 24'. The inner ends of. the tubu 'ar members 24 terminate in a square portion .25 which is counter-sunk in the end of the member 23 as shown in Figure 5; and centrall from each squareportion '25 there exten s a rectangular portion 26. The tubular members 24 receive the ends of a pair of.

terminal wires 25 which otherwise extendthrough the neck formed bythe male casing section. A projection 26 is formed on the outer end of the insu atin member'23 and adapted to hold apart .t e wires 25.;

also a tongue like member 27 extends from the inner end of the insulating member 23 f for the purpose of which will later become ap arent. Y l

n insulating member into the female casing sections, said member being surrounded by! a metal sleeve 29.

28 is also fitted,

.the extended portions 26' of the tubular members 24. A pair of tubular members 31 are positioned in suitable openings formed in the insulating member 28, the inner ends of which terminate in a square portion 28, and extending from this portion is a pair of spring jaws 30 and said jaws being adapted to receive between them the extens on portions 26' of the tubular members 24. Each tubular member 24 is surrounded with a sleeve 31'. The ends of a pair of terminal wires 33 are properly extended into the tubes 31, said Wires otherwise extending'through the neck formed by the sections 21 of the female casing. An extension 34 is also formed on the outer end of the insulating member 28 adapted to separate the wires 33 and on the inner end of said member 28 there is formed an elongated slot 35 adapted to receive the tongue 27 of the member 23.. p A

A suitable bolt is employed for binding together the companion casing sections in each instance as at 36. Also in each neck section 21 of the female casing there is centrally secured an oblong shaped member 38 by the means of a screw or bolt, indi cated at 39. The purpose of the members 38 is to bind the pair of wires 33 against being pulled from their connection with the. coupling. The screws 39 also aid to hold together these two sections of the casing.

An oblong lug 38 is likewise formed upon the inner surface of each neck section 16 of the male casing for a like purpose with respect to the wires 25.

Also to further secure the pairs of wire terminals against removal, I provide a pair of set screws for each wire as at 40. Each screw is preferably positioned in recesses formed in the insulating members as at 41, Figure 8, and threaded into the tubular members 24 and 31 as likewise shown in the same figure.

In order to detachably lock the' female and male members of the coupling together( when assembled, there is formed in the cas mg section 14 a slot 42 near its inner end and on each side of this slot there is formed a lug 43, said lugs being, formed with regrai er? 1 section 14 and extend into a recess 47 formed in the sleeve 29 and insulating member 28. The lever 45 is carried by the casing section 14 and the plate 46 extending into the recess 47 which is formed in the members 29'and 28 is carried by the casing sections 11 and 12, locks the female and male members of the coupling together. In order to hold .the lever '45 in itslocking position, ll

form a cylindrical lug 48 on the exterior of believed the operation of the present cou-v pling can beclearly understood. The male and female members are easily separated from one another after the locking lever 45 has been placed in its unlocking position. lit may be pointed .out that in order for the locking lever 45 to engage the slot 47 the male and female members of the coupling must be properly positioned.

While I have shown and described the preferred form of my invention it is to be understood that I am aware of the fact that the construction, arrangement and combination might be slightly changed by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as indicated by the appended claim.

I claim I In a coupling member of the character described, a pair of telescopic coupling members having registering recesses, a lever fulcrumed at its one end upon one of said members and having a lug formed at its fulcrumed end adapted to be brought into said recesses for locking the members together, and a spring pressed pin adapted to engage the fulcrumed end of saidlever at a pomt adjacent its upper edge when said lug is within the recesses of said coupling member and thereby to yieldingly hold said lever in its locking position, said pin being alsov adapted to permit the lever to be manipulated to bring the lug out of said recesses and unlock saidcoupling members and when in this position the pin is adapted to engage upon the upper edge of the lug and thereby to yieldingly hold the lever in its inoperative position.

- WILLIAM rnuenrrn creme 

